Here the Abingdon Traditional Morris Dancers dance round a lady volunteer from the crowd.

The election of the Mayor of Ock Street happened today. This involved morris dancing all around the town. All residents of Ock Street were eligible to vote and the Ballot Box was counted at the Brewery Tap in Ock Street at 4 PM. The re-elected Mayor of Ock Street, Stuart Jackson, is shown above next to the Mayor of Abingdon.

There were visiting dancers:
Barnsley Longsword (red caps shown above)
Bampton Traditional Morris Men
Chipping Camden Morris Men.

The neighbourhood policing group came to talk and listen to the people of South Abingdon at the Family Centre. They have already been out and about talking to people and doing surveys to find out what is most important to local people – NOT what the politicians set as the next police target.

Local people talked about what they saw as things that most concern them. Things like:
Speeding Cars
Bullying
Under Age drinking
Not enough for young people to do
Anti Social Behaviour
Off road motor bikes

There was no problem coming up with ideas. Then we were given red (most important) amber (next important) and green (next important) post-it notes to vote for the most important issues we wanted the police to concentrate on. The results are shown here by the area Sergeant. This evenings results were:

Anti Social Behviour
Not enough for kids to do
Under Age Drinking

This is broadly in line with other forms of consultation – where criminal damage also figured. The police will publish their results soon. A Neighbourhood Action Group (NAG) has already been set up so that police, local councillors, and local people can work together on solutions. After all the police on their own cannot provide more for young people to do.

One result of this consultation program is that the police have dispersal powers to break up groups of people involved in anti social behaviour. The dispersal order covers the area within the red line between the hours of 17:00 to 06:00, and the blue area around Southern Town Park between the hours of 22:00 to 06:00.

Here ar
Here are some pictures, checking on the new Banner Homes development between Blacknall Road and Caldecott Road. Not much information on the web site yet, but it won’t be long, and the selling agent is Andrews.

The view of the houses behind on John Morris Road will soon be no more.
e some pictures, checking on the new Banner Homes development between Blacknall Road and Caldecott Road. Not much information on the web site yet, but it won’t be long, and the selling agent is Andrews.
The view of the houses behind on John Morris Road will soon be no more.

Abingdon has no railway station but it does have an express bus service to Oxford. Until recently there were competing express services: the X4 run by Stagecoach and the X3 run by the Oxford Bus Company.

Stagecoach has just thrown in the towel, and now there is still an X3 and X4, and both are run by the Oxford Bus Company.